Monday 23rd June
Written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
Last night saw us heading back to a firm GoodGym favourite – St Mary's Primary School – for another rewarding evening of digging, running, and even a bit of sliding.
We kicked things off with a warm-up and a chat about our favourite school trips. From Paris to the Isle of Wight and even the sensory delights of Eden Camp – complete with the authentic sounds, sights, and smells of WWII – there were plenty of nostalgic stories to share before we set off.
The run to St Mary's was breezy, and the reward at the end was worth it: a stunning rooftop terrace view over Battersea and beyond. Lucky kids!
Before getting stuck in, we took a moment to admire an area we’d previously cleared, now flourishing as a climate garden. All that hard work shifting compost on a dark winter's night was worth it!
This time, our mission was to tackle a massive raised bed in preparation for a new wetland wildlife area. Tools in hand, we set to work digging, bagging, raking and generally making light work of a heavy job. The transformation was soon complete!
And then… the moment we’d all been waiting for: The Slide. A mixed bag of dismounts, but credit where it’s due – former pro gymnast Jason delivered a textbook landing. Gold stars all round.
We wrapped things up with a quick fitness session – think running drills, high fives, and arm burners – before heading off on the return run.
Next week we’re onto a brand new task at a local nursery, helping to create an exciting garden space for the under-fives. Sign up here!
Monday 16th June
Written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
Last night, a small but sweet GoodGym Wandsworth team took to the streets for a successful session supporting Youth Battersea – an organisation doing brilliant work in the community. Their mission? Creating a safe, supportive space for local young people to build confidence, skills, and friendships and giving them access to trips, experiences and visits outside of London.
We met John and Charles, who gave us a great overview of what Youth Battersea is all about, and why getting the word out is so vital. One of the main ways they raise money is through a ball in November, so it was our job to get news of the event out there. Just before we set off we did a warm up, discovering the mathematicians among us and discussing the ultimate debate: night in, night out, or night out-out? The out-out crew just edged it… which can only mean one thing – GG Wandsworth social coming soon!
With over 50 envelopes each and a trusty map, it was time for the off. We quickly formed a very efficient human chain to cover nearly two miles of letterboxes in no time. Cheski, showing her flyer finesse, even managed to find a way into a block of flats and smashed through a big bundle in one go – extra points for elite flyering!
Halfway through, we stopped for a mini strength and conditioning session – complete with some very impressive press-ups and excellent plank form. We discussed dinner plans and even a post-task picnic but there were still flyers to deliver and we were not going to shirk our responsibility for a sun drenched evening on the common...however tempting it sounded!
With our job nearly done, we powered through the final streets, stretched it out at base, and wrapped up another purposeful and positive evening. Next week we're off to a local school for a task involving slides. Yup, you read that right. Sign up here to join the fun and find out more!.
Saturday 14th June
Written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
One hot Saturday morning, two (slightly battered) wheelbarrows and one enormous pile of mulch was no match for a team of four strong GGers!
Monday 9th June
Written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
A Night of Heroes, Horticulture & Happy Endings at Doddington!
Last night was a special one as we celebrated a big achievement: Paul completed his 400th Good Deed! To mark this milestone for a real-life hero, we had a well-deserved stash of chocolate heroes to fuel our efforts and congratulate Paul on his unwavering dedication.
Our session took us down to the Doddington Community Garden, a vibrant green hub that always benefits the community. We tackled a variety of tasks, including:
Battling the bindweed - an ongoing effort to remove this persistent weed to give the raspberries a chance to flourish. Clearing areas for trees- Annabel and Paul got busy ensuring the ash and apple have the space and light they need Transporting hay and tiles - a true team effort, moving (heavy) items around the garden. Removing dead leaves and sweeping up - Pritesh, Sophie and Jason got rid of all those yellow leaves cluttering up the place
It wasalso great to admire the onions we planted some time ago, now flourishing – a testament to the long-term impact of our GoodGym efforts!
After a productive gardening session, we headed downstairs for a competitive fitness session which saw Sophie and Dave crowned tricep dip royalty!
The run back to base took an unexpected turn as we became embroiled in a missing dog drama. Thankfully, Catherine and Jordan stepped in swiftly and contacted the council, providing crucial assistance. We were all delighted to find out later that evening that the dog was successfully reunited with its owner! A truly happy ending to what was already a very productive night.
A huge well done to everyone, especially to Paul on his amazing 400th good deed!
Join us for our next mission this Saturday: moving mulch! Your help would be greatly appreciated. You can sign up here
Monday 2nd June
Written by Anastasia Hancock (she/her)
We kicked our big task off last night with a warm up and a debate about the best breakfast. From leftover pizza to avo on toast, fritters got a mention and the classic eggs – any which way – got the most votes. With that settled, we set off for our ongoing garden transformation project.
The big news was that we received a grant from the NHS to put towards the garden! 🎉 Thanks to this support, we’ve been able to take the space to the next level. Check out the before and after photos from when we first started at the garden.
At the weekend Jordan and I went on a garden shopping spree, coming back loaded with plants, tools, and an ambitious planting plan. The aim for the garden is to grow fresh produce to donate to local communities living with food insecurity so we wanted to get as much in the ground as possible.
On arrival, we got stuck straight in. There was a lot to plant – from herbs and flowers to a new pear tree, courgettes, chard, peppers, and tomatoes. The potatoes were looking especially healthy, the gooseberry tree had started to fruit, and the fig was looking fabulous. Unfortunately so were the weeds, so they were the first to come out.
After a good stint digging, planting, watering and sowing, we popped across to the square opposite for a our workout – mixing cardio with strength-building conditioning.
We finished up back at Omnibus for a good stretch and a lovely post-session social.
This Saturday we have a great mission helping to marshall at West London Queer Project’s 10km walk. It’s going to be a fun day out supporting a great cause – come along if you can! We also have a new weekly task on Thursdays during the day helping people with Parkinson's get active starting from next week.
Next Monday we're back for our regular visit to Doddington community garden - see you there!
Saturday 31st May
Written by Stephanie Stevenson
Three goodgymers spent a sunny Saturday morning weeding a flower bed outside a local church and community centre. We made a big dent in the weeds (see the before and after)!
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